OKC Auto Show to Feature Futurliner #10

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OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 14, 2018) – The future is now for those attending the 101st Oklahoma City International Auto Show with the Futurliner #10 appearing throughout the three-day show. The Futurliner #10 last appeared in Oklahoma City in the 1950’s but will return for public display after being restored. The 101st anniversary of the Oklahoma City International Auto Show is being held March 9-11 at Oklahoma State Fair Park in the Bennett Event Center. “This will be such an exciting combination of our past, present and future,” Chairman Laine Diffee said. “Visitors to the Oklahoma City Auto Show will have an opportunity to actually sit inside this amazing part of our American history, and we are proud to be able to have the Futurliner #10 as part of our annual event.” The Futurliner #10 was one of 12 large dual-front wheeled display vehicles that crisscrossed the country in the early 1950’s, part of a General Motors promotion called the Parade of Progress. The GM Parade of Progress and its crew of about 60 young men carried futuristic and inspirational exhibits to millions of people across North America from 1936 through 1956. The parade of Futurliners accompanied by GM’s newest cars for sale would pull into small towns just like the circus once did, set up at the fairgrounds or a park. This 1953 Futurliner, with 16-foot display doors on either side, was a perfect platform for static exhibits and live demonstrations of emerging technology of the future.

“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to show off the Futurliner #10 to everyone who attends the Oklahoma City Auto Show,” David Yarde, executive director of the National Automotive and Truck Museum (NATM), said. “This is an ideal event for us to provide the public with a glimpse of how we viewed the future many decades ago.” The Futurliner has visited Oklahoma City twice before on the campus of Oklahoma City University as part of the Parade of Progress – in 1941, prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, and again in 1955. With the increased popularity of television and other growing technologies, the Parade of Progress eventually retired and the Futurliners became a memory of the past. However, efforts were made to restore some of these 12 items of Americana, with Joe Bortz eventually donating the Futurliner #10 to the NATM. The remaining Futurliners remain in private ownership or sit unrestored. “The era when the Futurliners were traveling the country was an exciting time for autos and were reflective of a time when technology was rapidly changing the world,” Peter Hodges, president of the Metropolitan Auto Dealers Association, said. “We could not be more pleased to have the Futurliner #10 as part of the Oklahoma City Auto Show and we know this is something that is going to excite a lot of people of all ages.” The Oklahoma City Auto Show is one of the largest consumer shows in Oklahoma and will feature a variety of entertaining activities for adults and kids. In addition to the Futurliner #10, the 101st anniversary event will include dozens of automobiles from the 50’s era; the 18-Hole Mini-Golf Course Experience with proceeds benefitting the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Summer Youth Camp; a display with four one hundred-year-old vintage cars; the opportunity to test drive 24 cars and trucks from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Toyota and Chevrolet; exotic cars; a “Coffee and Cars” event; a VIP preview event prior to the show’s opening; and lots and lots of 2018 new cars and trucks from 24 automobile brands. The Metropolitan Auto Dealers Association was formed on May 4, 1916 as the Oklahoma City Motor Car Dealers’ Association, and the first OKC Auto Show was held January 23-26, 1917. This year’s Oklahoma City Auto Show will once again take place in the state of-the-art Bennett Event Center at State Fair Park. Attendees will have the experience of enjoying the show under one roof with immediate access to all of the exhibits and events. Those interested in purchasing tickets are encouraged to go to www.okcautoshow.org for additional information. Discounts are available for tickets purchased online. Buy one get one free coupons are available at your neighborhood 7-Eleven stores and Solid Rock Basketball. Among the automaker brands participating in the show are Alfa Romeo, Acura, Buick, BMW, Chevrolet, GMC, Chrysler, Dodge, Explorer Van, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Nissan, Ram, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. The OKC Auto Show is sponsored in part by State Farm, 7-Eleven and The Oklahoman. The Metropolitan Auto Dealers Association is a non-profit organization that exists to serve and promote the franchised new motor vehicle dealers of metro Oklahoma City and is the producer of the OKC Auto Show.